Chapter 10

Jordan’s POV

I didn’t need anyone to tell me that since it was right there, staring me straight in the face.

Starting from the moment my heart started to flutter around him, I knew I was already in deep and wouldn’t find it easy to pull out, not like I really tried to in the first place.

I turned towards him and blinked twice when I realized he was watching me intently.

“I love you, Oliver,” I said before turning back around until I was staring at the expanse of grass once again. It only took a few seconds for the words to probably register in Oliver’s head because he wrapped his fingers around my jaw and tugged my face until I was staring back at him, a lot closer than before.

He pressed his face lips against mine and my eyes slid shut for a few seconds until he pulled away.

“I love you, Jordan.” He whispered, a few centimeters away from my currently parted lips.

“I probably love you more than you love me.” I argued with a small chuckle, but Oliver shook his head immediately.

“No, you don’t understand. Listening to your voice brings me a euphoric feeling which I can’t even fully explain. It feels like everything automatically falls into place in my disarranged head each time I see you smile without holding back. Seeing you and spending time with you makes me feel complete...” He continued to say with all seriousness, and I felt tears prickle my eyelids as he spoke each word, the unhinged adoration could be clearly heard in voice.

“Stop.” I whispered as I pressed a light kiss against his lips as a tear slipped out.

“Stop because all what you just said now are exactly the same thing I feel around you, well except the butterflies in my stomach and the way my heart skips a few beats around you, then everything is pretty much the same.” I whispered against his throat, and I felt his arms wrap themselves around my shoulders as he hugged me to him and stroked his fingers slowly through my hair.

I lifted my head away from his shoulders and wiped my wet cheeks with my palms.

I was an emotional bastard.

We rounded up at the shelter and Oliver wrote the owner of the shelter a cheque which she was extremely grateful for because I was sure the zeros on the cheque were up to six.

We got into Oliver’s car in which we drove while coming to the shelter.

“Your apartment, right?” He asked and I nodded. We were going to spend the remainder of the day there before he heads home tonight since tomorrow was the start of a new week.

It was a week and a day since Derek bailed on me when we were supposed to go get our measurements done, and a week since I ignored his calls when he didn’t even sound one bit apologetic over the phone. Of course, a day after that day, he has showed up at my house and I had forgiven him since I just didn’t know how to stay made at Derek.

Which was probably why he didn’t sound apologetic over the phone because he was already a hundred percent sure I’d forgive him.

I am the most pathetic person I know.

We had gone to get our measurements together and the more time I spent with him, the more my mind automatically compare him to Oliver and the more he weighs so low compared to Oliver, the more I get more disinterested in the supposed marriage that I was meant to be excited about.

We barely exchanged more than a few texts since I wasn’t messaging him first or calling him the way I used to, which made me question most of my life decisions.

We stopped to get pizza along the way, before driving into the compound and parking his car. We headed into the elevator together and I smiled at Maeve and Anna who were currently exiting the elevator. They smiled knowingly at me and quickly waved at me before the door slid close.

“They seemed really enthusiast.” Oliver mused and I rolled my eyes, of course he noticed.

“I might have told them a thing or two about you.” I stated, which I regretted doing immediately because they started urging me to make a move before someone else snatched him away since apparently he was fresh meat in the market unlike me who had a ring on the middle finger which screamed ‘back off’ in caps.

“Good or bad things?” He asked as the elevator door slid open. “You figure that out.” I informed him as I dug out my keys from my pocket and unlocked the door and got in first before heading straight for the kitchen to drop the pizza on the countertop.

“Your house would never not be beautiful to me.” Oliver mused loudly before dropping into one of the couches. I smiled at the compliment as I sank into the spot beside him. “Thank you! Your house is just as beautiful, honestly.”

“Nah, not up to yours.” He argued and I rolled my eyes as I turned on the television and checked the various channels to decide on which I was going to watch with Oliver.

“Hey,” Oliver whispered into my neck, I turned around on the couch and stared at him, he leaned forward and kissed me softly.

I smiled against his lips before pulling away, “Let’s see a movie, Oliver.”

“Movie’s boring, and besides I wouldn’t be able to concentrate with you sitting down beside me looking this way.”

“Oh yeah?” I mused and he nodded his head immediately.

“I guess we could watch the movie later.” I stated and grinned as his blank expression morphed into an excited one. Talk about duality.

He leaned towards me and wrapped his hands around my cheeks before kissing me lightly. Our mouths moved against each other slowly until he ducked my lower lips into his hot mouth, deepening the kiss slowly. I whimpered into his mouth when he bit on my lower lips before sucking the sting away. He stopped kissing me for a moment and I popped my eyes open to see him staring at me.

“This alright?” He whispered against my lips, and I nodded immediately, it was more than alright, it was perfect...

He started to kiss me again and we heard a low “wow.”

We jumped apart immediately and quickly turned towards where the voice sounded from. My mouth fell open on seeing Derek standing at the entrance of the sitting room, his signature flowers and wine still in his arms.

As usual, he figures out that he’s supposed to be giving me more attention, then he goes and buy me gifts to get back into my heart_ and I’d have accepted the gifts happily with heart bursting out of love and adoration.

Which made me just realize that has indeed been manipulating me, and Michael has been right all this while.

We got to our feet immediately and I focused on the harsh glare Derek was directing towards his brother.

“So, this is why you’ve suddenly drifted away from me? Because of him? My brother?” He demanded, directing his glare towards.

Gosh, it did sound really bad.

“I didn’t drift, Derek. You did.” I said calmly.

“Jordan, we’re getting married in a month time for heaven’s sake. What the fuck is this? And of all people, it has to be my younger brother? What the fuck is this?”

“No, we’re not getting married.” I stated calmly and watched as he dropped the gifts he was carrying on the couch and raked his hands through his hair.

“What?” He demanded, staring wide eyed at me like he was dreading my reply.

“I said we’re not getting married.” I repeated with a glare on my face. I walked towards him and pulled off the engagement ring in which I’ve been in love with one time and stretched it out for him.

“Here’s your ring? I’m calling off the wedding and canceling all the plans we’ve already made.” I paused and shook in his face, he stared at it without taking it and I threw it at his chest and watched as it bounced on the floor and laid beside his shoe.

“It’s because of him, right?” He asked me quietly and when I didn’t say a thing, he turned around and stormed towards a quietly observing Oliver and grasped the collar of his chest before jerking him forward and glaring into his face, it was at that moment that I noticed how Oliver was an inch or two taller than Derek.

“Don’t you even start with me, brother.” Oliver snapped and jerked his shirt out of Derek’s grip before taking a step away from him.

“Oh, so now we’re brothers? You didn’t remember the fact that we were related while fucking my fiancé, did you?” Derek snapped at Oliver, and I breathed out a sigh. I didn’t intend for this to turn out this way.

“Look, we’ve only fucked once, okay? And that was before we knew we’d be getting linked to you.” I informed him Derek angrily and watched as he turned away from Oliver towards me once again.

“And that’s supposed to make me feel better, and here I was thinking I was the only one still seeing someone while in a relationship.”

“I knew you were still seeing someone, you selfish bastard.” I squeezed my eyes close for a few seconds, determined to not cry in front of him.

“And here you are, having a relationship as well, but instead of doing it which an outsider, it just had to be my brother whom you got his number from me, remember?”

“There’s nothing going on between your brother and I for fuck’s sake.” I snapped loudly at him and watched at a got startled for a moment.

“What you said up there about if that was supposed to make you feel better. The answer is no, it’s not to make you feel better but the actual truth. Remember when you cheated on me? Well, I hooked up with a stranger as well as a payback kind of thing. I-I didn’t know I was going to ever see him again until I met him at your parents’ house.”

“Who the hell repays cheating with cheating?” Derek demanded harshly.

“I do,” I replied calmly while digging my hands inside my pocket to stop it from shivering.

He threw his arms out while replying immediately, “You’re a bottom. You’re not supposed to cheat.”

I winced and fisted my hands in my pockets. Was this how he saw me? As someone small with a baby face?

I stared at him without saying a thing, totally thrown off guard by the dumb as fuck reply.

“And y’know you can’t really blame me for cheating, you were most times not always in the mood to have sex knowing I have a really high sex drive, so I went outside to look for it.”

“You know what? You disgust me, how am I just seeing this part of you?” My voice cracked underneath but I ignored it and continued. “You manipulated me into thinking I was in love with you and that you were everything I need, you had sex with me without me giving my consent countless times, you walk over me and ignore me whenever you want to and show up whenever you want to, that’s extremely disgusting of you, and I hate you so much for that.”

He stayed quiet and paced around the spot he was standing on while I dragged in a deep breathing a glanced at Oliver who was currently watching me, our eyes locked for a few seconds before I looked away and turned back to Derek.

“Our engagement is officially over. I don’t want anything to do with you ever again and please dispose of my keys. I’ve already done the same with yours.”

Derek finally looked at me again, then at Oliver and me again before turning back around and heading for the door.

“Take your gifts and ring with you as well,” I shouted but he ignored me and stepped out of the house then slammed the door shut.

I collapse onto the floor the moment the door slammed and buried my head into my legs as sobs wracked my whole body. Tears of sadness slid down my cheeks and I didn’t bother cleaning it off since more tears of wasted years, tears of loss of something I thought I already have, tears of pity at myself for allowing myself to be treated in this manner all this while.

I sobbed into my knees and jolted when I felt an hand come to rest on my back before remembering the fact that Oliver was still here and has witness me call off my engagement which was a total disaster and had also watched me break down in tears the moment Derek was out the door_ like I was crying for his departure or that I didn’t want him to leave me when in reality It was the complete opposite of what it must have looked like at first.

“I think you should leave.” I whispered without lifting my head, my voice cracking embarrassingly due to how hard I was sobbing.

“Hell no.” He disagreed immediately and I felt him settle down on the floor beside me and the next second, he was wrapping his large arms around my huddled form and pulling me into his body. I didn’t bother fighting him and went in willingly until my head was resting on his chest and I could feel his heartbeat directly in my ear. I sniffed and wiped at my eyes and staring into nothing.

I was officially single once again.

I have to inform Michael. I scrambled away from Oliver and picked up my phone from the couch and quickly dialed his number. He picked up and sang out my name the way he always does if he has tea to spill.

“I called off the engagement with Derek.” I whispered softly but he heard just fine and remained quiet. I sank into the couch and sniffed back another bout of tears. I have no reason why I was crying, but the stupid tears wouldn’t stop, I thought to myself as I wiped my tears against my sleeves.

“Want me to come over?” He asked quietly and I sniffed once before glancing down at Oliver who was still on the floor where I had left him. I sniffed again and shook my head before glancing away from Oliver and replying to Michael, “Oliver’s staying with me now, you don’t need to.”

“I’ll call you tonight, yeah? Then I’m coming over tomorrow, yeah?”

I nodded my head in agreement, “Yeah.”

He bid me goodbye, and I dropped my phone on the space beside me once the call got disconnected and sniffed once.

I’ll have to call my mum and let them know, then my friends tomorrow.

I felt a fresh wave of tears start to come forward and I quickly buried my face into my palms in embarrassment.

Would this stupid tears ever stop? I’m adult for fuck’s sake and not a teenager.

I threw my head back and didn’t bother hiding the tears again, there should be nothing embarrassing anymore with Oliver at this point.

He has seen me in so many moments, and this was one of the moments.

“Hey, come here,” Oliver said softly with a hand stretched out. I stared at it and hesitated for a moment until he repeated his request. The dom in him reared its head.

I pushed to myself and crossed the room until I was standing before him, I accepted him hand and swallowed when his warm large one almost swallowed up my smaller, cold ones. I was about to sink into space beside him, but he pulled me downwards with a tug which made me tumble into his thighs.

He wrapped his arms around me, and I wrapped my hands his waist after some seconds, welcoming the body heat as our body got pressed together.

“I really can’t understand how bad you’re hurting, but I know it’s really bad and I’m really sorry.” He whispered softly and I swallowed without saying a thing.

“I’m sorry my brother is such a shameless, unapologetic asshole, I’m sorry humans in particular are most times want we want,” he continued, and I squeezed my eyes shut, determined to not let any tears drip onto his shirt.

“I also understand the fact that you wouldn’t want anything to do with me since I’m related to someone you’d rather not remember.

The first tear slipped out and I didn’t bother wiping it off, instead I shrugged his arms off my shoulders and sat straight on his thigh until I was staring into his eyes.

“Are you kidding me? You made me realize the fact that I do need and actually deserve better, and now you’re saying this? Of course, it’s going to be difficult knowing you’re related to my ex since that was actually what made me try my possible best to not develop any feeling for you to no avail.”

I sniffed as another trail of tears started to slide down my cheeks, I tried to use my sleeves to wipe the tear off, but Oliver beat me to it by using his thumbs to wipe them off softly, a fond look on his face.

“I want to do so much with you, I want to appreciate and cherish and adore and baby and take care of you, owning you completely exclusively, fuck what Derek said about it being in a male’s blood to cheat. We both know it’s a bunch of bullshit. The fact that you’re a bottom doesn’t have anything to do with your masculinity, yeah?”

I ducked my head, or tried to, but Oliver’s hands around my face didn’t move an inch, making me stare into his eyes as color flooded my cheeks as I digested his words.

The words he said to me sounded so unreal.

“Yeah,” I answered quietly. He leaned down and brushed his lips against mine lightly before pulling away and pushing to his feet. I quickly wrapped my arms around his neck as he got up to his full height with me in his arms bridal style.

He carried me to the kitchen and placed me on the counter before soaking a napkin in water from the sink and using it to clean my face. I remained quiet as he fused over me, my heart skipping beats although.

I took in a deep breath and jumped off the counter then headed over to the fridge to fish out a can of sprite, I opened it immediately and chugged a mouthful down.

“You hungry?” Oliver asked and I shook my head, I didn’t feel like eating a thing after all that has happened.

The sound of my phone ringing from the sitting room made me abandon my sprite on the counter as I went to answer whoever it was.

It was an unknown number and I hesitated to answer it at first before deciding to answer it at the last second.

“Hello?” I said into the phone while staring at my fingernails.

“Hi Jordan, this is Derek’s mum.”

My heart dropped into my stomach at that moment.

“So, you cheated on my son and decided to call off the engagement?”

“What?” I demanded.

“You heard me right, I’m sure,” she snapped coldly, and I winced. This was the total opposite of the person I was introduced to.

“Look, I’m sure your son didn’t explain everything to you properly. Can you please get back to him and confirm whether he told you everything before accusing me of cheating?” I said quietly but firmly, not caring if I was being disrespectful.

I didn’t wait for her to say anything else before ending the call and dialing Derek’s number immediately. I sank into the couch when he didn’t answer on the first ring and retried the number.

“You told your mum I cheated on you?” I snapped into the phone the moment he answered.

“Yes, I mean, you did cheat, didn’t you?”

“Did you tell her you actually pushed me into cheating? Because I’m calling her and telling her right now.”

Derek started to say something, but I cut him off immediately, “And y’know what? Don’t try to walk all over me again, we’re no longer in a relationship. And don’t you dare explain it to your parents like Oliver and I knew each other before we hooked up.” I paused and when he didn’t say a thing, I continued.

“Michael said what you did to me could actually get you behind bars and I looked it up and he turned out to be right, and I might decide to press charges, so be careful to not get me angry.” I didn’t wait for him to say a thing before ending the call and dropping the phone on the couch.

“Your family probably thinks I’m a home wrecker.” I said to Oliver the moment he sank into the space beside me on the couch.

“Nah, I’m definitely gonna be labeled as the home wrecker here.” Oliver argued before reaching out and tugging my hand into his thigh and entwining our fingers together.

“I don’t think he mentioned your name before, and I’m sure he isn’t going to anymore.” I said softly.

“I’m still going to have to explain to them as best as I can without giving away too many details since we’re still going to be seeing each other... I’m also going to Derek’s house tonight, we’re both going to have a talk and I’m going to explain things more to him since he’s still my brother, no matter how much of an asshole he is.”

“Yeah, you really should. I really wouldn’t want your relationship with your brother to be ruined because of me.”

“Our relationship wasn’t strong in the first place, y’know. Ever since I got into college, we just kind of drifted and barely talked apart from exchanging pleasantries.” Oliver mused and I glanced up at his face, but he was currently staring at our entwined fingers.

“I’m sorry.”

“No, it wasn’t your fault.” He admonished immediately before dragging his gaze away from our fingers and focused on my face.

“I love you.” He said softly and I leaned forward and rested my head on his shoulder before sighing the three words out to him as well.

I wasn’t ready to go into marriage and would be a hundred percent sure it was what I wanted before accepting any man’s ring again.

But for now, I’m going to live everyday as it comes, knowing that there was someone who’s into me as much as I’m into him, and that person is making me happier than expected.

And so, it did finally turn out to be true. True love cannot be ignored or denied access to fully develop no matter how much the person tries to fight the feeling.

There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved - George Sand The End